Life after the Final Battle
by Beryl Mirage
Summary: Moving on after loss is difficult. No one knows this better than Zakuro Fujiwara. Her average life was already enough for her to deal with, without the interference of previous events.. She now has to juggle her new relationship, career and family issues. Can Ryou help her through it. And what are the other ex-mews up to? Sequel to Sapphire Eyes.
1. Guilt

Hello to all my readers.

This story is a sequel to Sapphire eyes. It will follow the lives of Zakuro and Ryou as they become closer as a couple. This story is cross between one-shots and a story which has a continuous storyline. In other words the one shots are connected to each other and will continue off each other indirectly

Some chapters will feature other pairings, but it will be primarily RyouxZakuro.

Pairings in this story: LettucexPai, ZakuroxRyou, PuddingxTart.

I'm open to writing any of my readers ideas and pairings. Just give me the outline of the one shot and the pairing and I'll challenge myself to writing it. These may be separate from the rest of the story depending on the context.

Feel free to give many ideas.

Check out EllieB's stories! She helped me with mine :)

* * *

Zakuro stretched her arms over her head, a feeling of content bliss washed over her. Her smile soured into a frown as her thoughts raced.

_This is wrong…._

That's what she thought, she was going against her religion, her culture and worst off all her family. She pictured their disapproving stares, irritated frowns and whispering. All because she was living with a man unmarried.

_It's just a favour...it's not like we're doing anything…_

With that a blush adorned her cheeks. She needed time to think, to plan, to evaluate. Her father came to mind. The small creek of the door opening distracted her, looking up she saw Ryou leaning in the doorway, an indifferent expression on his face.

"Morning," he mumbled as she nodded pulling on a jacket. "Wait ...where are you going?"

"I just need some to think...after this whole ordeal," she said as he moved ou the way to allow her to pass. He watched for a few moments before leaning forward and grabbing her bony wrist.

"Zakuro if you need someone to talk to...you have me," he stated as she gave him a weak smile and pulled away. He sighed as the door slammed.

_This is going more difficult than I thought…_

* * *

Zakuro pushed open the door to her childhood home. Despite her father being the only left there. The memories of events that happened nearly a decade ago caused her head to scene before caused her to draw back slightly, her father had his face buried within his hand, his dark hair dishevelled. The steam rising up from the coffee before him did nothing to awaken his senses.

"Zakuro?" he murmured, removing his hand from his face revealing a sullen, puffy face contrary to his usual clean-cut, chiselled face.

"Papa?" she said hugging him to which he limply returned the gesture. "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking over my decision," he set down his cup after taking a long sip. "I was going to sell the house, so I could move close to Fujiwara Enterprises, unless you want to live here." Zakuro stared blankly into space before slowly forming her words.

"Where are you moving to?" she asked as he slowly sighed.

"Since your mother...has passed the workload rests solely on my shoulders, I'll just be moving closer to the heart of Tokyo," he studied her blank expression expecting at least her furrowed eyebrows to raise.

"It'll be alright Zakuro," he said "It's only until I find a business partner...I was planning to tell later today but you're here now…." he paused "Did you want to tell me something?"

"No...I just decided to leave to take a small break to think," with that her father straightened up.

"How are you two doing?" he asked his dark blue eyes meeting her sapphire eyes.

"Good…" she murmured with some caution. "You don't mind our relationship?"

"You are an adult now...I'm not as controlling as your mother…"

"But what about our family?" with that question her father gave a low chuckle.

"You mean our estranged family…." with that he got up and poured the rest of his coffee down the drain. Pulling on his jacket he hurried through the door.

"I'd better get a head start today, feel free to stay," with that the house was silent, aside from heavy footsteps and the slam of a car door. Zakuro sighed. Thing had never gone this downhill, she didn't have a drive a for anything. She couldn't be bothered to deal with diligent pests otherwise known as the paparazzi or her own conflicts.

She had her friends, her father, Ryou and Keiichiro and an offer for counselling but none of these appealed to her, yet she didn't want to be left alone. Her mixed feelings caused her stress to well up.

_Or maybe not…_

Mint was focusing on furthering her career as a prima ballerina, Lettuce was intrigued with the letters Pai sent her via his telekinetic abilities about the cyniclon's lives on their new planets. Pudding, Ichigo and Berry were going about in their usually blissful carefree ways.

Why would they want to hear about her problems? After all she's the eldest she should be able to deal with it herself.

_There some thing I will have to discuss with Ryou…_

* * *

Ryou stared at the TV a bored expression plastered on his face. Though he refused to show it, he was worried about Zakuro. Why had she just ran out like that? Should he have gone after her. No, Zakuro was an independent aloof individual. She was different from the other girls harder to read.

"Zakuro," he murmured as she remained standing a grave expression plastered on her face.

"Ryou, there's some things we need to talk about," she stated bluntly as he got up to face her. "Don't you think what we're doing is wrong?"

"What?" he asked.

"Living together unmarried….you _know_ that looked down upon here," she stated as he remained speechless.

"Oh...for a second I thought you were breaking up with me," he chuckled but stopped as Zakuro blank gaze remained unenlightened.

"I'm serious Ryou," she said as he shrugged dismissively.

"It's not like we're doing anything...besides who cares what anyone else thinks," he murmured "It is just a friendly gesture after all…"

"I suppose…" she mumbled.

* * *

Your reviews are appreciated.


	2. Scrutiny

**Author's Note**: Thank you for your review daniella! I'll be using your idea in the next few chapters as I'm writing other one shots.

* * *

_Who cares what anyone thinks?_

_Easier said than done..._

* * *

Zakuro sat alone in her childhood home, cascaded in darkness. Curtains drawn, doors locked. The scrutiny was beginning again. People were talking and whispering, though she was all alone she could almost hear the buzz of vicious conversation.

She knew this what fame brought, but over the years she learned to ignore undesired comments. Besides a few false rumours were nothing compared to her mother's wrath. She heaved herself off the bed and glanced around at her room. It was a lilac, old stuffed toy shoved into box in the corner. On her vanity stood picture frames, each containing a family picture.

_If my mother wasn't a business woman she could be an actress…_

Glass shattered as Zakuro threw the frame to the ground. She took up the photo and crumpled it in her hands. She was starting to feel sick, sick of the rage building up inside of her. Ryou was probably wondering where she was. Her blood pressure spiked as he phone went off in her pocket. She glanced at the number before pelting the phone against the wall, a distorted ring still went off.

_My manager has no respect for me does she?_

Zakuro began questioning her career on a whole. After all she only became a model to escape her past. Her fans loved her but that still didn't make her_ feel_ loved.

_Papa said to let go of the past and look to the future..._

* * *

Ryou tapped drummed his fingers on the counter, patiently awaiting Zakuro's return. He didn't pursue her after she left after all he knew better than to do that. The door swung open interrupting his thoughts.

"Zakuro..." Ryou murmured wearily. She simply shook her head in reply her long locks moving along her back.

"Everyone...keeps tell me to ignore and move on, but it's not that simply!" her outburst caught Ryou off guard.

"It may not be easy but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try…" she turned him small dagger like glints in her eyes.

"And how would you know?" he physically drew back, a small hint of pain flashed across his face. "Ryou…"

What is wrong with me..

"I'm sorry...I forgot…" she muttered gravely, Ryou sighed walking towards her. He grabbed her arms while she refrained from the urge to pull away.

"You know you can talk about if you want...it helps...I would know…" he said stressing the last part.

"Zakuro I know our mothers were..different..but the matter of the fact is, is that they're gone…"

"I don't know why I feel upset after the way she treated me," Zakuro spat. "She doesn't deserve…" Zakuro bit her tongue as guilt came over her.

"Despite it all she was still your mother and you can't expect everything to become fixed in a day…"

"My parents died over a decade ago and it still hurts...not as much but hurts the same…" he admitted. She hugged him, she felt warm and safe in his embrace.

* * *

Ryou looked up at the ceiling, Zakuro's tribulations were causing old wounds of his to re-open. While he thought Azami caused her own demise, it was a tragedy none the less. But his own mother did nothing wrong.

She was kind and beautiful. She lost her life to that monster. After that he was angry. Angry at Keiichiro for holding him back. Angry at of course the aliens. Slowly became hollow resorting to his sarcasm and cold demeanor to escape the pain.

* * *

Your reviews are appreciated.


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